Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa will take tentative first steps into Premier League football this evening as Chelsea visit Fulham. It may prove a baptism of fire for one coach or the other, who both have a point to prove after enduring challenging spells with Real Madrid last season.
Alonso makes the short trip across west London shouldering rather more pressure than his opposite number as he looks to deliver on another summer of heavy investment which has seen his side prematurely tipped as potential title challengers. A number of competitive debuts are expected, then, with the likes of Morgan Rogers, Pep Chavarria and Marco Palestra all hoping to play their first minutes in Chelsea colours.
New era at Fulham
The expectations of Arbeloa’s Fulham are a bit lower, though it will be a tall order for the Spaniard to fill the shoes of Marco Silva. After an opening weekend full of upsets and surprises, he will be keen to add his name to the list with victory in the derby.
Match details and live coverage
Follow the match below with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog, complete with expert insight and analysis from Dom Smith at Craven Cottage.
Kick-off is at 8pm BST at Craven Cottage. It is a new dawn for both clubs, with the Cottagers embarking on the post-Marco Silva era and Chelsea looking ahead to what they hope will be a bright new future under Xabi Alonso.
One side will likely get off to a better start than the other - but who will fortune favour at Craven Cottage? All will be revealed.
